Why Worship?

Why Worship?
by John Fischer

I will worship God today because it is good and right to do so.

I will worship God today, not because of what it will do for me, or because it is popular, or because it is Sunday, or because I like the worship music, but for the simple reason that I was made to do this. To worship God is what I am here for.

Worship is not an asset. It is not an added benefit to my life like working out or taking vitamins. Nor is it a secret formula that will add a deeper dimension to my life. Worship is raw. Basic. Worship is the air I breathe. It is the blood pumping through my veins. It is the cells in my body that reproduce and keep me alive for this. Everything else I do is extemporaneous. To worship God is the root of my being. To not worship is to miss the fundamental reason for my existence.

Worship is what happens when you get in touch with God. Something about it is automatic. When any human being encountered a vision of God in the Bible, the same thing happened: they hit the dirt. It was the natural response. Some of that was fear, some of that was worship as expressed by awe and respect. Much of it was feeling little and insignificant in His sight. That's part of worship too, because we are. That's why it is so amazing that He is mindful of us. That He even notices us. (Psalm 8)

And because He loves us so much, and knows how far away we can stray from our stated purpose, and how much damage we can do to ourselves and others in the process, He has commanded us to worship Him. We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Luke 10:27). That's not because He is arrogant, but because He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows our fulfillment is in Him. The Rolling Stones get it right every time they sing it: “I can't get no satisfaction.” That's because there is no ultimate satisfaction until God is in His rightful place in our lives.

Think of it as God commanding us to do what we were meant to do. God is commanding us to do the one thing that will make us deeply satisfied and forever fulfilled. That's a twist, because we're so used to laws being overbearing, backbreaking spoilers of our fun. This is a law that commands us to do what will be our delight for now and for eternity.

John Fischer is the Senior Writer for Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotionals. He resides in Southern California with his wife and son. John is also a published author and songwriter.